Lock for safe-deposit boxes



OCt. 22, 1929. JRA. KATZ 1,732,847

v LOCK FOR SAFE DEPOSIT `BOXES Filed Oct. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

Oct. 22, 1929. J. A. KATz 1,732,847

LOCK FOR SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES i Filed Oct. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. KATZ, F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO S. FORRY LAUCKS, 0F YORK,

PENNSYLVANIA LOCK FOR SAFE-DEFOS'IT BOXES Application filed October 14, 1926.

This invention relates to a lock and is pri marily adapted for use in connection with sate deposit bones or elsewhere where a master key is held by an establishment and an individual key is held by the customer, although no limitation as to this use is to be interred.

It is primarily aimed to provide a novel construction wherein the combination necessary to operate the lock on the part of the individual or customer may be readily changed, as is advisable when a safe deposit box is transferred from one customer to another, a key becomes lost or otherwise.

Another object is to provide a novel con struction wherein a unit is provided containing the permutation disks and which unit is removable so that another may be applied in its stead, to thereby vary the combination with respect to the customers or individuals key. t

Still other objects are to provide a novel construction oi locking arms to hold the units in place, which arms are displaceable by a key and which key also controls the displacenient ot adjacent lock parts so as to provide due clearance for the removal of the unit, and also to provide a. structure having a rigid casing ior the unit and the latter of such form that it cannot be incorrectly inserted.

Various additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration ot the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

novel unit;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the lock; Figure 7 is a liront view of the cover or facing plate of the lock,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 7, t

serial No. 141,564.

Figures 9 and 10 are transverse sectional views ott the lock unit, and

Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view el the lock unit showing the spindle in elev'ation.

Referring specil'ically to the drawings, the lock comprises a rectangular casing as at l0, formed with integral side and end walls7 and initially open at one side but closed at such side by a racing plate as at 11, which may rest on lugs 12 oit the section 1() and which may be secured in place by a screw or the like passed through an opening 13 in plate 11 and engaging an interiorly screw threaded stud la oi" section 10.

Fixed adjacent one end within the section is a stud 15 on which the locking bolt 16 slides, by reason of the provision of an elongated slot 17 in the latter engaging said stud. The bolt passes through a rectangular opening at 18 in one end of casing 10. The slid ing movement of said bolt 16 is limited by a pin 2() on section 10.

Projecting laterally from the bolt 16 is a detent lug 21 coacting with which are a series of arms 22 in the form oi individual levers pivoted on the stud and each having a spring 23, carried thereby and engaging a part ot the easing 10, thereby urging the levers toward the detent 21, so that projecn tion 24 0n such detent will abut such detent 2l. The detent 21 and project-ion 24 prevent retraction of the bolt only when the removable unit is operated first and it is therefore a safeguard only against the 'front unit. Retraction of the bolt is also prevented by small block 16a tastenedto the upper side of the case 10. The arms 22 have slots at 25. The slots 25 are at different locations so that they will be staggered when the projections 24 engage the lug 21. Key means is provided however, whereby the arms 22 may be actuated to aline the slots 25 and also aline them with respect to the detent 21 so that the bolt 1G may be operated for retraction, the slots 25 in that event receiving the detent 21.

Such key controlled means may comprise a spindle as at 26 provided with a key slot 27 therethrough. One end ot the' spindle 27 is reduced as at 28 and journaled removably in lOO CTI

an opening 29 in the casing 10. It will be understood that an appropriate key is adapted for insertion through the slot 27, having bits of different lengths, so as to depress the arm 22 to the different extents necessary for alinement of the slots 25, to receive the detent 21.

Y Pivoted to the locking bolt 16 as at 30, is

va latch 31 havinga lug 32 at one end thereof.

A coil spring 33 suirounds the pivot 30, engaging the latch 31 at one end and to the bolt 16 at the other end, whereby the latch 31 is urged at the lug 32 toward or into engagement With suitable permutation disks 34. @poration of disks 34 is keyxcontrolled, being adapted for operation by a customers or in- .d'ividuals Ikey while the arms 22 are adapted for voperation by a master key such as is used in a safe deposit room of a bank for various lock-s, to unlock them prior to further Iunlocking by -the customer. The disks 34 have slots 35, vwhen alined, adapted to receive the free end of lug 32.

Said fblock 16n acts 'against lug 32 of latch 31 until the `lug I32 drops into the slots of the .disks,'this position of the disks being only obtained by the proper key alining the slots ofthe disks and therefore operating the lock.

The said disks 34 form parts of the permutation key :unit heretofore referred to and specifically shown alone in Figure 5. This unit comprises a holder 135a having a disk end .'36 .preferably knurled :peripherally at 3'? so that it maybe more readily gripped.

The side Wallsof the holder 35a .are arcuate and adjacent the ldisk 36 have grooves as at 38. One end of the holder has a plate `at 39 permanently fastened "or removable as preferred and held in place as on pins 4() extending from theholder 35a. Journ-aled removably in the disk end of the .holder is a spindle 41 which is also journaled in theplate 39, .projects beyond the same and has a lkey insert groove as at 42, whereby a key may be insert-ed through the same to engage :the disks v34.1to klock or unlock the bolt 16. The holder 35a and plate 39 have dat `upper and lower Walls 38CL and 39a different lin length lor :ot-herf Wise andthe openingV 43 in the leasing foccu- Apied by the unit is intimately fitted by it so that the unit can only be inserted in one position, namely .the correct position. Spacers 44 of arcuate form separate disks 34. Also an end disk 45 is included vin the disk assembly. Said spacers and disk 45 are nonerotatablc since they have lugs 46 disposed in a longitudinalslot 47 of holder 35a. Said disk 45 has a slot 48 which is entered by the key and has shoulders 49 to limit the turning movement thereof in both directions.

The said -unit as shown `in Figures 5 and 11 is removable as an entirety Afrom the casing 10fsor that al new unit may be substituted thereforfor so that the disks 34 may be varied in order to alter the combination.

in order to removably hold the unit in place within the section 10, an opening is provided in that section as at 43 through which the unit is inserted and removed. then in place within the section 10, the disk 36 overlaps the adjacent side wall of the casing, and fastening arms at 50, extend into the grooves 38, whereby the unit is held in place in the casing 10. The fastening arms 50 aro pivoted at 51 to the section 10 and they are retained in the grooves after withdrawal of the key so that a blow or shock cannot disengage them as by means of a spring such as that. shown at 52. A. keyhole 53 is provided through the casing 1() so that a key 54 may be inserted, to engage adjacent ends 50 of the fastening arms 56, so to spread the fastening arms at their locking ends, thereby releasing the unit so `that it may be removed. The key cannot be Withdrawn until the arms are in the locked position in the grooves. Regardless of the spring 52, due to the shape of the arms.` the latter are operated positively by the key. Stop pins 51n are provided to limit the movement of the arms 50. One of the arms .i0 has a pin or l rejection 52a thereon, whereby when the arms 50 are retracted by operation of key 54, the projection 52, as shown in Figure 1, engages the latch 31, thus ret 'acting it, and removing the only part which vinterferes with the removal of the unit. It will be understood of course that when the key is inserted in groove 42 and acts on the disks 34, the edges at the 'slots 35, serve as cams, to elevate or displace the lug 32 of said latch 31.

lt will also be apparent that when the bolt 16 is retracted, lug 32 on latch 31 will engage under the-block 16a. Then in this position it is impossibleto 'actuate arms 5() because of the engagement of projection 52l with the latch 31. llllien, however, thebolt 16 is in advanced position, lug 32 is in position to avoid engaging the underside of block 16 and the arms 50 may be moved to disengage their free ends from groove 38, and the unit may bc removed and replaced. It follows that as the opening 43 for the unit is in the back plate of the lock c-asing,von the inner side of the door or other closure, the unit cannot be changed until the customers key, fitting the unit, has been applied to open the door or other closure, and then advance the bolt to move arms 50 and that he has control of the operation of the lock while his keys are in his possession. Furthermore, as the projection 52"t holds the latch 31 in raised position when the arms 50 are disengaged from groove 38, and it is necessary that lug 32 engage in the alined slots 35 in disks 34 to actuate the bolt to retracted position to close the door, and cannot so engage while the latch is so engaged, it follows that the door cannot be closed until the unit is securely .fastened in position on the lock casing by engagement of arms 50 therewith.

The cover 11 is preferably provided with cylinders at and 56 adapted to surround adjacent portions of the studs 4l and 26, respectively and they also have extensions of their bores at 57 and 58, which permit the bits ot the dili'erent keys to gain access to the various parts.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

l claim as my invention 1. A lock of the class described comprising a casing, a removable key-controlled unit therei'or removably carried by the lock, said unit having grooves in its outer face, astening elements engaging said grooves to prevent accidental displacement ol' said unit, and key operable means to simultaneously actuate said elements, the engagement of said fastening elements and the key preventing withdrawal of the key when the elements are disengaged from the grooves.

Q. A lock of the class described comprising a casing, locking means carried thereby, a

unit comprising a holder removably insertedinto said casing, said holder having grooves, locking arms on the casing engaging said grooves to prevent accidental detachment of t-he holder, permutation disks carried by the holder, a spindle carried by the holder and associated with the disks, said spindle having a key slot whereby a key may be inserted to engage the disks.

3. A lock of the class described comprising a casing, locking means carried thereby, a unit comprising a holder removably inserted into said casing, said holder having grooves7 locking arms on the casing engaging said grooves to prevent accidental detachment of the holder, permutation disks carried by the holder, a spindle carried by the holder and associated with the disks, said spindle having a key slot whereby a key may be inserted to engage the disks, and an end plate on the holder.

il. A lock of the class described having a key operated permutation mechanism including a holder, a spindle, permutation disks in the holder rotatable about the spindle, spacers between the disks, an end disk on the spindie to limit movement of the key, said holder having slots and said spacers and end disk having lugs disposed in said slot.

5. A lock of the class described, comprising a casing, a cylinder on a Wall of the casing and communicating with its interior the opposite Wall ol the casing having an opening in alinement with said cylinder, a unit insertable through said opening and engaging in said cylinder, said unit containing key controlled means necessary for operation prior to operating the lock, and means to hold said unit in the casing, said means being controllable through the wall of the casing through which the unit is insertable.

6. A lock of the class described, comprising l a casing, a cylinder on the front Wall of the casing and communicating With its interior, the rear Wall of the casing having an opening axially alined with said cylinder, a unit insertable through said opening and engaging in said cylinder, said unit containing key controlled means necessary for operation prior to operation ot the lock and provided with a groove in the outer `face of its side wall, arms pivotally engaging in said easing and adapted to engage said groove to hold the unit in the casing, extensions on said arms, and key operable means to engage said extensions to move said arms from engagement with the groove.

7 A lock of the class described, comprising a casing, a removable key controlled unit insertable through alined openings in the casing and having a groove in the outer face oi' its side wall, fastening elements adapted to engages in said groove and hold the unit in the casing, and key operable means to simultaneously actuate said elements, the engagement of said fastening elements and the key preventing withdrawal of the key when the elements are disengaged from the groove.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JOHN A. KATZ. 

